


Taking Flight

by shonee



Category: Starlight Brigade - TWRP ft. Dan Avidan (Music Video), TWRP | Tupper Ware Remix Party (Band)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alien Planet, Childhood Trauma, Nonbinary Character, Other, Trans Character, blink and youll miss it pining, this monkeybird can fit so much anxiety in them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27872570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shonee/pseuds/shonee
Summary: A ship crashlands on Mico's planet. Outsiders are dangerous, but they have to see it for themselves.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Taking Flight

At first, Mico thought the stars had returned. Or even just their sun - the blaze of light outside their window was powerful enough, perhaps even moreso. But it was far brighter than they remembered, and it came with a  _ roar _ ; and, they realized as they stuck their head outside to gaze heavenward, it was getting closer.

They squinted at the falling star, raising a hand to shield themselves against the glare, and through the trail of fire, Mico could just make out a gleam of metal.  _ A ship.  _

* * *

“Mico! Hey, Mico!” 

Mico’s ear twitched at the sound, prompting them to poke their head out of their cocoon of tubes and wires. Muffled as the voice was, they recognized it in an instant. With a smile, they pushed themselves away from the shell of their project, stretching up on their feet, the little pops and cracks of their joints singing a fanfare of a long day’s work.

Sufficiently de-cramped, they hopped over to the treehouse window to peer down at their visitor. A Thysrian girl stood holding what looked to be a smooth cylinder, still wringing the water out of her violet ponytail. As soon as Mico appeared, her face lit up into a brilliant sharp-toothed smile, her finned tail practically wagging with delight. “Mico! I found something for you!” 

“Ooh! What is it?” Without waiting for an answer, Mico stepped out the window into midair, gravity taking its effect as they immediately began to plummet. At the last second before they hit the ground, they unfolded their wings, flapping once to give them the slightest bit of lift before their feet tapped lightly on the forest floor.

“I’m not sure,” The girl turned the cylinder over in her hands before handing it over to Mico, who dropped a bit with the added weight. “It looks a bit like that thing you said was a… a thruster?”

Looking at it up close, it wasn’t entirely a cylinder - one side was closed off, forming a sort of bucket shape. Mico brushed off some of the wet sand still clinging to the metal, then turned it over to inspect its insides. Within were two other cylinders, neatly encased within each other. Mico tried to pull the innermost one out and it slid along an inside track, stopping a few inches outside the largest cylinder, having pulled the middle cylinder along with it. An idea was forming in Mico’s mind, and as they stuck their arm inside the smallest cylinder and pushed all the way down, it was confirmed. 

“You weren’t too far off,” Mico said, looking back up at her. “This is part of a laser cannon. I-It’s okay!” They quickly added, seeing alarm in her eyes. “It’s not connected to any power, so it can’t do anything. It’s got the same extending parts as this model’s thrusters, but see how there’s a gap between where the bottom of the inner part is and where the bottom of the outer part is?” They demonstrated, pushing their arm in and out of the cannon. “There’s a chamber in-between that mitigates the recoil, so you can continuously fire at a distant target without worry...”

As they trailed off, they realized how long they’d been talking, and they glanced back up to their listener, expecting to see dulled eyes and folded arms, but instead found the Thysrian watching them with wide eyes and an even wider smile. “Wow, Mico… How do you know all this stuff?”

Mico felt their ears grow warm, and they brushed back their hair, breaking their gaze. “Oh, uh, you know… just bits and pieces I’ve picked up.”

She giggled in response. “That’s even more amazing then, I think.”

“A-Anyways Reiko, I should be thanking you!” Mico said before their face could get any hotter. “This is really in incredible condition - I think I’ll be able to use this!” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah!” Mico leapt up from the ground with a flap of their wings, soaring back up to the window. Crouching down on their hands and knees, they crawled around the hunk of metal that sat on the floor - they knew they had seen the corresponding port somewhere- “Ah! There!” With a neat  _ ker-chunk _ , the cannon attached, as neatly as if the part had been there all along.

“Ohhh,  _ wow _ ,” Mico turned around to see Reiko peering through the treehouse door. “It’s really coming along now!”

“You think so?” Mico scooted away from the cannon to climb to their feet, smiling at their handiwork in spite of themselves. About a third of a spacecraft sat on the treehouse floor, its parts in varying states of patches and rust. Patchwork as it was, each piece was thoughtfully placed as much as possible, given their limited toolset. “I dunno… I’ve still got a long way to go,” Mico laughed a little, shaking their head.

“I can’t wait to see it when it’s done,” Reiko smiled before climbing back down the ladder. 

Mico watched her all the way until she reached the water’s edge and dived in. “Me neither…” 

* * *

The ship’s descent was hardly slowed by the treeline, and with a teeth-grating series of  _ cracks _ and  _ snaps _ , it finally came to a (presumable) crash with a dramatic  _ BOOOOOOMMMMMM _ . Mico stared after it, slackjawed. They’d only heard of a handful of crashes in their entire life, but this- not only was it their first time seeing one, it was so- so close! They could practically smell the burning fuel! Actually, it wasn’t just close, something about where it landed… something about  _ there _ seemed  _ too _ close… 

_ BANG BANG BANG!!  _ Mico jumped away from the window, skittering back into their hammock with feathers and fur floofed to maximum. 

From outside their room they heard the telltale quick, but quiet stomps and the creak of an opening door. “Roki!” Their guardian hissed. “For spirits’ sake, Mico is asleep!”

“Leyru!” came a gasping male voice from just outside. “A ship, it’s just crashed-”

“Yes, I saw. Is everyone safe?”

“Y-Yes - it’s far enough away that none of our trees were hit. I was surprised it didn’t hit the water, as far as it went.”

“And where did it touch down?”

“The eastern shoreline, just by Starsight Beach.” Mico’s stomach dropped. The sounds of splintered wood and burning metal echoed in their mind.  _ The treehouse. _

“That’s good,” Leyru sighed, half relief and half sorrow. “That... should not be difficult for people to avoid. Start informing the others. I will join you momentarily.”

The door closed, and Leyru’s footsteps retreated back into her room. Mico stepped shakily out of their hammock, their heart a painful hammer in their chest as they crept towards their door and pushed it open. Images of sparks and cinders flooded their mind. It had to be fine. It had to be. It had to-

“Mico?” Mico froze as Leyru stepped out of her room, still tying her sash. After a moment, her dark eyes softened and she said, “Oh, Mico… were you frightened awake?” 

She stepped forward and wrapped both her arms and wings around Mico in a hug, encasing them in a comforting cowl of blue. Mico returned it, closing their eyes as they clung to her. As much as their heart continued to pound, Leyru’s cool feathers seemed to dull the blaze of panic.

Leyru pulled away first, smiling down at them. “I must calm the others now. You’re safe here, all right?” She tucked back a lock of Mico’s hair, then stepped past them, pushing open the door and diving gracefully off the ledge. A moment later the blue and black wings spread wide like a fan, and she was off, shouting commands to the other guards already making the rounds. 

_ You’re safe here. _ Mico tied their hair up into a ponytail, then stepped out the door.

* * *

There was hardly ever a lesson where Mico didn’t end up completely covered in charcoal. From tapping the stick to their chin to chewing on its ends, every problem they worked through introduced a new smudge to their face. 

Today’s set was particularly brutal, as indicated by the veritable raccoon mask that had formed around Mico’s eyes. They grumbled as they brushed away another failed solution, blackening the last few untouched patches of skin on their hand. 

“Do you want a hint?” Mico’s eyes broke away from the paper to meet their tutor’s - Laru? No, Leyru - gaze. It was warm, but it smacked of pity, and Mico didn’t want any of it. Not for this.

“No,” Mico said with perhaps a bit more fire than necessary. “I just don’t understand why I need to know this! I’m not going to be a diplomat.”

“And I don’t expect you to be,” Leyru said gently. “But those beyond Tropica don’t speak our languages, they speak Universal. And that includes those who make the machines you find. Don’t you think you could learn that much more about a part if you understood what was written on it?”

Mico made another mumbled grumble, a conceded victory. Then they sighed, pushing away the paper. It was time for a break. “Leyru, have you ever met anyone from ‘beyond Tropica?’”

“No...” Leyru’s voice sounded far away as she stared out the window to the forest. “And I hope I never do.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re dangerous, Mico,” she turned back to Mico now, her tone carrying a sudden edge so harsh that Mico’s feathers fluffed in response. “They come to take whatever they can get their hands on. The quicker they leave, the better it is for all of us.” Her gaze softened. “Oh Mico… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Our village is well-hidden. The few times in my life someone has landed here, they’ve left within days.”

“But- if they don’t- if they find us-”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Leyru smiled. “But it has never come to that. And as long as you stay hidden too, it never will.” She offered her arms in a hug. Mico hesitated, then leaned in to accept it. She still felt different. She was gentler, and her hair was longer than what they were used to. But for the first time, her embrace gave them comfort. 

* * *

_ Please. Please. Please.  _ Mico leapt from tree to tree, their wings offering assistance when their legs couldn’t cover the distance. Never before did the journey to the treehouse feel as long as it did now. Normally they would entertain themselves with their brain rattling off statistics and constructing schematics… but the distant smoke rising overhead clouded their thoughts as much as their lungs. 

They stopped on a branch just before they were about to jump to the next, placing a hand to its trunk. From the hundreds of times they’d made the trek, they recognized this tree… but it felt  _ crooked _ . They looked up, heart sinking… and saw a broken treetop, and dozens more in a line behind it. And based on that trajectory…

They dashed on, flying around the last massive trunk in their path, alighting on another branch… and nearly dropped out of the tree with relief. The trail of wreckage continued on another twenty feet or so, culminating in a stretch of upturned ground from the ship’s landing. And there, save for a few broken branches in its arboreal foundation, the treehouse stood unharmed.

They laughed weakly, leaning against the trunk. Their legs had all but turned to jelly. Now to just check and make sure none of the debris had fallen inside, they just had to fly up and  _ there was someone else inside. _

A massive form rose up within the treehouse, just barely visible from Mico’s angle outside, rumbling in a deep growl that matched their intimidating size. “Dammit… I’ve got no idea what I’m looking for.” Mico’s ear twitched. They were speaking Universal. “It’d help if I knew what was wrong with the thing.” The intruder leaned back, huffing a sigh. Inch-long claws rubbed at the back of their violet-furred neck. “Or if my comms weren’t busted. Aaargh, Sung would be way better at this…” 

They started to turn around and Mico stumbled back, flattening themselves against the outside of the treehouse. “Figures! I’m fighting an intergalactic war to bring back the stars, and this is how I go out: crash landed on some nowhere planet…”  _ Bring back the stars?  _ Mico’s mind was racing. That couldn’t be possible. Could it? 

The voice started moving further away, and Mico peered cautiously through the window once more just in time to see a fluffy mane dip beneath the platform as the intruder took to the ladder, grumbling to themselves, “Maybe I’ll see if I can find some of the locals… One of em’s gotta know somethin…”

As the intruder’s voice faded away, Mico peeled themselves away from the wall, letting out a breath they didn’t realize they were holding - but the action held no comfort for them. It was only a matter of time before they found the village. And it would be Mico’s fault if they did, now that they knew the island wasn’t deserted.  _ I have to do something…  _

Their gaze settled on the fallen ship. It looked surprisingly undamaged from the fall for the most part - save for a few dents here and there - but there was one panel in particular that was billowing smoke. Glancing about in case the intruder decided to come back after all, Mico hopped down to the ground, tiptoeing over to the problem part as they pulled up their shirt to cover their nose and mouth and withdrew the emergency wrench from their pocket. 

Finding the bolts to undo was easy enough, and as the panel came off they were treated to a brand new wave of smog. Mico’s nose wrinkled in response. The last time they smelled something like this, it took weeks for the treehouse to clear it out. Who knew one burned fuse could cause something like that… wait. 

Mico squinted through the haze at the numbers lining the fuse chamber’s interior. They recognized these codes. That couldn’t be the very same kind of fuse that burned out, could it? They still had a few extras… Would this be enough to fix the ship? These were crucial parts; if they had burned out without a backup it would have been enough to take it down… 

Mico pushed themselves up from the ground, their heart a dull thud in their chest. This was dangerous. Who knew how long it would be before the alien intruder came back? But, if they fixed the ship, then the intruder would have no reason to stay any longer… right?

Mico shoved the wrench back into their pockets, turning away from the ship to fly back up to the treehouse and grab the rest of their tools. They would have to work fast.

* * *

The adults were talking about them again. Mico wished they’d stop pretending they weren’t. Even though they couldn’t hear the conversation, the pointed glances in their direction when the adults thought they weren’t looking were obvious enough. Mico scratched at the bandages on their arm. The adults could talk all they wanted. Mico just wanted to go home already.

This time the patrol scouts were speaking with one of the village’s Important People. Mico remembered Mom pointing out those striking black-and-blue wings in the last village gathering. The Important Person was nodding seriously as she listened to the scouts. Annoyance buzzed dully in Mico’s mind.  _ Here it comes…  _ Sure enough, the Important Person’s head turned in their direction, and she nodded towards the scouts before swooping down to land beside Mico with a few graceful wingbeats.

“Hello, Mico,” the Important Person said gently, kneeling down next to Mico. “I don’t think we’ve met before. My name is Leyru.”

Mico didn’t respond except to scratch at their bandages again. The annoyance buzzed louder. They didn’t feel like talking.

Leyru didn’t seem to get the hint, because she took a deep breath and continued, “You’ll be staying with me from now on. I know it’s awfully soon to discuss, but-” 

“Why?” The words tumbled out of Mico’s mouth, breaking their silent protest. As Leyru hesitated, Mico pressed further, “Why can’t I just go back home?” Leyru only gave them a solemn look. Mico jumped to their feet, fluffing out their wings indignantly. “I want to go back! I want to see Mom and Dad! They have to be back now, they’re waiting for me!” 

“Mico… they’re not waiting for you.” Though Leyru’s words were quiet, they cut through the buzz of Mico’s mind with jarring clarity. 

“What?” 

“When we saw it was only you that made it back to the treetops, we sent out the scouts to help, and by the time we had found them…” Leyru trailed off. 

Mico’s trembling feathers rustled like leaves in a storm. “What’s happened to them?” 

“I’m sorry. They didn’t make it.”

Mico sat back down on the ground. Far away from them, their bandages itched. Leyru’s sorrowful gaze bored into theirs. They wanted to cry. They wanted to scream. They wanted to be sad. But they couldn’t. Nothing was happening. Mom and Dad didn’t deserve this. They didn’t deserve to just be a  _ nothing _ -

Something cold and smooth was pressed into Mico’s palms. They blinked, their vision refocused - and Leyru’s hand drew away from theirs, revealing a gleaming gear. They glanced up to see a cautious smile on her face, a sliver of warmth offered to them. “We’ve been able to recover some of your belongings; I’m told the metal things were yours. If you stay with me, I can teach you what I know about them. Would you like that?”

Mico nodded, hugging the cool metal to their chest. It sapped away the itchiness, the buzzing, the  _ nothing _ \- and with it came an exhaustion so heavy they felt they would sink through the floor. Their eyelids drooped, and as they drifted out of consciousness they felt those warm hands scooping them up, that gentle voice whispering in their ear:

“I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

* * *

Mico leaned back, wiping the sweat from their brow. “Well, that’s as fixed as it’s going to be…” They stretched their arms back- and jumped as they hit metal. They glanced around - and found their little repairing-spree had taken them inside the ship’s interior. First it was replacing the fuses, then it was a misaligned firing chamber, and then…

Mico rubbed the back of their head. The island’s critters had begun their morning chorus. It was late. Or early, they guessed. They had to get back home; they’d done more than enough even with their limited supplies. They scooched away from the exposed panel, rolling onto their feet. If they hurried, they could probably make it back to their room before Leyru would notice-

“-doin a damn good job of hiding, that’s for sure-” A block of ice dropped in Mico’s stomach. The intruder was back already?! No, more like  _ they’d  _ been here WAY too long, and they’d been stupid enough to trap themselves inside!

Mico’s eyes darted about the ship’s interior, looking for somewhere, anywhere they could hide - and settled on the panel they’d just been tinkering with. It wasn’t perfect, but they could just barely squeeze in… and hopefully evade detection until they had the chance to escape. They crammed themselves inside, their feathers a fluffy insulation against the uncomfortable bumps of metal piping, and held up the panel’s cover as best as they could against their pretzeled legs. 

“... Unless that hideout belonged to some other unlucky fuck that crashlanded here,” the intruder’s voice growled, and from their sliver of visibility Mico caught a glimpse of massive clawed feet stepping into the ship. The feet stopped short. Beside them, a purple tail twitched back and forth. “Huh. Now, that’s weird...” 

The feet stepped further into the craft, out of Mico’s view. There were a few tentative button taps, and with a surging hum, the ship whirred back to life. Despite their fear, Mico’s pounding heart leapt with pride. It worked! It actually worked!!

“Hah! Well, whaddya know?” The intruder laughed. “Just needed to cool off a bit, huh? Let’s see if we can get yer comms workin…” A few more taps, and Mico’s hiding place flooded with flickering blue light. A part of them wanted to poke their head out of the panel just for a second to watch - imagine, seeing a communication device on a ship like this in action! - but instinct quickly scolded it. The intruder gave an awkward cough, jolting Mico back to their senses. “Hey, Sung.”

“Commander Meouch!” A new voice came through the other end, crisp and sharp. “For stars’ sake, we’ve been looking for you for hours! Where  _ are _ you?”

“Some backwater planet called… ‘Tropica,’ nav says. Somewhere in the Matahari System.”

“... Why?”

“Halfway through a shortcut my ship decided it liked bein planetside more than bein functional,” Commander Meouch growled. As this “Sung” on the other line laughed in response, Mico slowly started to move the panel cover out of their way. This might be their only chance to escape. All they had to do was sneak away while the aliens were distracted-

“But I didn’t call just so we could admire my survival skills. I’m bringing back a little somethin for the trouble.” As Meouch’s voice turned smug, Mico froze in place, dread settling in their stomach. That  _ couldn’t _ be what they thought it was. “I found us another ship. Well, most of a ship. Looks like an older model, but whoever was here before me left it in pretty good shape minus the missing parts. Even if it’s beyond use, we’re bound to get some decent scrap from it.”

“No…” Mico whispered, ears flattened back to their skull. Their ship… all their hard work, gone…! 

“Hrm, either way we could definitely use it… All right, you’re off the hook, but no more shortcuts!”

“Ooop, sorry, you’re cutting out,” Meouch said, with the tone of someone who was very much not sorry. “What’s that? Take more shortcuts? Caaaaan do!” The blue light flickered out, and Meouch chuckled to himself while tapping at the keys. “Alright, Starlight Brigade headquarters, here we come…”

Mico stared blankly ahead. They had to get out. Now. But - they couldn’t just leave the ship behind. That was years - literally, years! - of collected scrap, of wiring and rewiring - it was everything they’d ever worked for! They couldn’t just go and fix another one!  _ But if you don’t make it out, there won’t ever  _ be _ another one.  _ Mico bit their lip until they could taste a bead of iron.  _ That’s what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. _

They started to move the panel cover away once more, leaning out of the opening, the cool morning air of Tropica just out of reach -  _ CHOOM. _ The ship’s hatch slammed shut. The metal panels vibrated all around them, a whirring filled the air, the lights flickered in discordant harmony- and the moment Mico realized it was too late, they blasted off.

They shot forth, the force flattening Mico against the back of their hiding place, their stomach performing somersaults as they hurtled straight through the atmosphere. The roar of the engines was a wild beast bellowing into their ears, and each bump sent shockwaves through their metal cage - it was all they could do to keep themselves inside. Their nails scraped against the edges, they gritted their teeth against the pain-

And it all stopped. Mico’s eyes blinked open. Slowly, carefully, they poked out their head from their hiding place, glanced towards the windshield - and saw darkness. Space.

Their fingers weak, their breath gone, they hardly noticed they’d dropped the panel cover until it hit the ground with a  _ CLANG _ . 

The pilot’s head snapped around. They rose from their seat. Mico scrabbled out of the panel opening, running half on all fours to the hatch - but it was closed, of  _ course _ it was closed, they were in space, there was nowhere to run, it was just  _ here _ , just them and this  _ alien  _ \- they whirled around, flaring out their wings - a paltry threat to this behemoth, who stretched out a massive hand - inch-long claws, sharpened to a point, ready to claw - to kill-!

_ That’s what you get.  _ Mico squeezed their eyes shut and screamed.

* * *

Cold. Wet. That was all Mico could make out of their daze. Their head was swimming, their ears were ringing. Someone was lifting them up - through their hazy vision they could make out a splash of their fledgeling feathers, scattered out on the forest floor…. the floor? Why were they here?

“Mico?” It was Mom lifting them up on their feet, they realized, stumbling around to face her. Her scarlet hair clung to her face, eerily pale in the darkness. Her wings were unfurled, sticking out at an odd angle. “Oh thank the spirits, you’re awake-”

“Akari, we’re running out of time.” Dad was here too? Mico turned to see him facing away from them, his great green wings spread wide as he stepped backwards over splintered planks of wood. Those weren’t from trees, so where-?

A flash of white illuminated their surroundings - half of a hammock, smashed jars, fragments of roof thatchings - their  _ house _ lay in pieces around them. Shivering, Mico gazed skywards - and between the stinging raindrops they could make out licks of flames in the treetops. The wind tore through the broken branches above, spurred on by a snarl of thunder. The storm had blasted them right out of the canopy.

A different kind of thunderous growl echoed in the undergrowth around them. A dozen pairs of gleaming eyes loomed in the darkness. Padding paws and lashing tails whipping out of view. Mom and Dad were pressing up against Mico, shielding them - but there were too many-

“Akari, take Mico and go,” Dad spoke in a voice quieter than Mico had ever heard before. 

“I can’t,” Mom whispered back. Her wing strained out, refusing to bend properly. “ _ You _ go, I’ll hold them off-”

“No, you won’t last a minute against them-”

“And you think you can?! Kuli, I won’t leave you-”

Another growl ripped through the forest. One pair of eyes stepped forth. A muzzle drawn back into a snarl. A matted mane of violet fur. Massive claws, scraping through the mud. A four-legged killing machine. Its barbed tongue darted out to lick its chops, flicking away poisonous spit. Its companions crept from the shadows, heads low, tails swishing back and forth. Time was up.

“Mico, run.” Dad said, spreading his wings even wider. “Don’t stop until you reach the village square.”

Mico shook their head, wide-eyed. “But I- I can’t fly that high-”

“The scouts will help you back up. You’ll be safe.”

“N-No, I- I can’t-”

“Mico, NOW!” Mom shouted, shoving them away. They tripped into a run, scattering mud behind them. Lightning crackled above, mixing in with the yowls of the predators. Their parents shouted again behind them - but they couldn’t listen, they had to keep going - but even as the swipes and snarls faded away, something was getting closer, tearing through the leaves alongside them. Mico glanced behind to see a lone predator broken away from the pack, pursuing them instead - its maw opened with glee, drooling with anticipation - it leapt towards them, extending its claws for the kill-

* * *

“Woah, easy, kid, easy!” Large and firm, but gentle hands gripped Mico’s wrists, forcing their thrashing to a halt. Mico winced, expecting the pricks of claws - but felt none. “I’m not gonna hurt you, really!”

Cautiously, Mico opened their eyes, and found their fearful gaze met with a piercing golden one. The violet feline grinned at them, and despite their terrifying sharpened teeth, the sight and situation were just bizarre enough to confuse Mico’s panic into a pause. 

“See?” They said, letting go of Mico’s arm. “You’re okay. The name’s Meouch. I’m the guy who crashed on your planet last night.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “I uh, probably should’ve checked for stowaways before taking off, but truth be told I was excited about getting outta there. Coulda sworn my ship was busted-”

“It was,” Mico squeaked out before they could stop themselves. “I-I fixed it.”

Meouch stopped mid-neck rub. “You what?”

“W-With the tools and scrap from my treehouse.” Mico continued, their tail curling around themselves.  _ Mico, shut up.  _ “That’s how I built the other ship, too.”  _ Mico, please.  _ “Well, i-it’s not built yet, it’s a work in progress, b-but that’s how I’ve been building it up ‘til now-”  _ Oh stars, PLEASE shut up. _

Meouch let out a long, low whistle. “No shit… All by yourself? On a planet with, like,  _ zero _ tech?”

“Bits and pieces fall or wash up every so often…” Mico said in a small voice. But Meouch didn’t make them feel small at all. In fact, the spreading grin across his face made them feel… bigger. 

“You got some serious talent, kid,” Meouch chuckled. “Man, the Brigade could use a mechanic like you.”

“The Brigade…?” Something clicked in Mico’s mind. “Is that what’s fighting to bring back the stars?” Meouch’s laughter cut short as he stared at Mico in surprise. Mico’s heart skipped a beat. Was it actually possible? “Meouch… What is the Starlight Brigade?”

* * *

No matter how long Mico stared up at the inky sky, no star would appear. That’s the way it had been, not quite for as long as they could remember, but long enough that they were starting to forget what a sky of stars looked like in the first place.

It was no wonder, then, that Mico and Reiko were the only two on Starsight Beach that night. Over the years it had drawn fewer and fewer visitors as hopes of the stars’ return had dwindled. But still, that was where the land met the sea, and so that was their meeting place. 

Mico sighed, leaning forward just enough to rest their head on their arms, propped up by their knees. They curled their toes into the cool sand. Ordinarily the sensation would be a comfort compared to the sticky wet season air. Tonight it just felt cold.

Reiko drew a hesitant breath behind them, twitching their ears to attention. “Stargazing without stars… kinda silly, isn’t it?”

“Heh… yeah.” As Mico gazed upward, they could still perfectly recall the massive triangular ship that filled Tropica’s sky the day the stars were taken. A swirl of light and color, the shocked gasps of other Simavians - then darkness. It wasn’t a day they liked to recall. But as their memory of the stars faded, that was the last illuminated sky they could clearly see in their mind’s eye. “Do you think,” they said slowly, “they’ll be gone forever?”

“No, not forever,” Reiko leaned back, sandpaper shark skin brushing against Mico’s feathers. “Someone out there is trying to get them back. I just know it. If your ship was done, I’d fly out and join them, too.”

“Really?” Mico turned just enough to see Reiko’s playful grin. “I dunno if I could do that. It sounds terrifying. And dangerous.”

“Of course it is! It’s the kind of thing only the bravest of the brave do. But, neither of us could  _ really _ know what we’d do until it came down to it, I think,” Reiko leaned back far enough now that their cheeks were touching, just barely. “And, y’know… I think you’re pretty brave when you want to be, Mico.”

Mico couldn’t agree. Why else wouldn’t they have reached out for her open hand?

* * *

“You sure about this, kid?” Meouch’s voice cut through Mico’s thoughts, breaking their gaze away from the ship’s window. “I mean, I ain’t turning’ you away, we could always use more hands like yours.”

Mico nodded. “Y-yes. I’m sure.” 

It was a lie, and an obvious one at that. Their feathers hadn’t flattened since they started their journey, and their white-knuckled grip of the ship’s inner railing wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence. 

But Mico wanted it to be true more than anything, and perhaps Meouch saw that too as he returned their shaky smile with a toothy grin of his own. “Alright then, hold on tight!”

As Meouch revved the ship into warp speed, Mico watched the blue-violet orb of Tropica fade into just another speck in the darkness.  _ Don’t worry. You won’t be in the dark for long.  _

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! i wanted to write up backstory for my first Starlight Brigade OC for a while, and I'm glad I finally got around to it :) 
> 
> check out art of Mico and other OCs I will probably inevitably write about at @trianglewhale on Twitter or @shonee on Tumblr!


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